Rules on dogs that bite vary in region

Recent attacks on people or animals in the metro area renew questions about how to respond
Monday, February 28, 2005 CHUCK SLOTHOWER


As dog attacks made headlines around the country in recent years, numerous cities and towns restricted or banned ownership of pit bulls and other breeds.

But in the Portland area, as in most major cities, residents are free to own any dog they like, often even after it has bitten a person or another animal.

A series of pit bull attacks on people and animals in the Portland area renews questions about how best to deal with aggressive dogs.

On Feb. 11, a pit bull mauled a 28-year-old horse in Boring so severely that the horse had to be euthanized. Days later, two pit bulls in Milwaukie allegedly broke through a wooden fence and killed a neighbor's 4-year-old Pomeranian dog. And on Feb. 15, an Aloha woman was sentenced to 18 months in prison after her pit bulls escaped and attacked a 7-year-old boy and a woman who came to his aid.

Dogs accused in the Portland area of biting people or other animals can be destroyed, but that rarely happens.

Washington County: Without an owner's permission, dogs can be euthanized only by court order, said Susan Field, Animal Services spokeswoman. In the past 11 years, that has happened once, she said. The two pit bulls involved in the Aloha incident also were destroyed.

Multnomah County: Officials can issue a notice of infraction, which carries a fine and triggers a hearing. A court or hearing officer can order a dog put down if it is particularly aggressive.

"It doesn't happen very often," said Mike Oswald, executive director of Multnomah County Animal Services. More common are orders requiring the owner to fence, leash or muzzle the dog to prevent it from attacking again, Oswald said.

Clackamas County: Dogs that bite a person or animal are subject to a hearing, which could result in restrictions or destruction of the animal. A second offense means automatic euthanasia, according to Joel Manley, spokesman for the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.

Groups such as the American Kennel Club and American Veterinary Medical Association oppose responding to dog attacks with breed-specific restrictions. They say owners are responsible for their pet's behavior.

Twelve states prohibit municipalities from enacting breed-specific laws, according to the American Kennel Club. Denver, Council Bluffs, Neb., and Winnipeg, Manitoba, were among governments passing such laws, usually involving pit bulls, a broad term that often describes several breeds descended from dogs bred to fight, to protect their owners or to hunt small game.

Diana Hallmark, dog control manager at Clackamas County Animal Control, said pit bulls get a bad rap from the media. She said many types of dogs attack other animals.

"All dogs have a chase instinct," she said.

However, a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found that pit bulls and Rottweilers were involved in more than half of the fatal attacks on people nationwide between 1979 and 1998.

Chuck Slothower: 503-294-5920; chuckslothower@news.oregonian.com